North Putnam School Board receives Bainbridge Elementary HVAC contract

ROACHDALE – A last-minute addition to its business Thursday evening, the North Putnam School Board received and approved a contract for upcoming heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) repairs at Bainbridge Elementary School.

The school corporation will have a guaranteed savings contact, one which ensures a reduction of energy and operating costs after a project is complete, with Shambaugh & Son, the same construction firm which undertook the recent million-dollar renovations at North Putnam High School and elsewhere in the district.

The estimated $5,575,000 project at Bainbridge Elementary includes a complete upgrade of its HVAC system with new ductwork, problems with which have persisted for years. The repairs are set to get under way within at least the next four months.

From a financial standpoint, bonds incurred for the project, which were sold last month, are not expected to impact taxpayers’ rates due to the district’s debt service not seeing an increase.

With Superintendent Nicole Allee set to sign off on the contract, Corporation Attorney Darren Chadd said he had not scrutinized it fully prior to it being presented. As such, the board’s vote stipulated that the contract was approved pending review.

In other business:

• The board approved for North Putnam’s JAG officers to pursue opening a food pantry later this calendar year in conjunction with Gleaners Food Bank. The officers presented a proposal for the project to the board at a work session held last Monday.

• The board passed a resolution approving $1,000 stipends to teachers Pam Bacon, Monique Fields and Jessica Nield; as well as $750 stipends to teachers Christina Miller, Bonnie Osborn and Cathy Tesmer. The $1,000 stipends were awarded for covering a retirement, while the $750 stipends were awarded for standing in for Dan Fouts, who died in February.

• The board approved a post-prom event at Ivy Fit Gym in Terre Haute on May 1. The approval designated it as a school-sponsored activity and allowing for the use of school buses.

• The board passed revisions to its general policy with regard to dress codes. Allee noted that the board generally approves dress codes for the individual school buildings when their handbooks are adopted each year. However, the changes reflect administrators having more flexibility to assess individual cases and help meet students’ needs.

• The board approved for principals Jason Chew and Bucky Kramer to begin planning for international travel programs for students at the middle school and high school. The trips would take place during the summer in 2024 and include trips to Austria, Germany and Switzerland led by Kramer, and others to Greece and Italy led by Chew.

• The board passed a resolution approving updating the school corporation’s 401(a) plan with Lincoln Financial. Corporation Treasurer Tanya Pearson said the plan has to be updated every five years and that she, Allee and Asst. Treasurer Amanda Keslar had to be named to it.

Taking the lead from North Putnam FFA members, the board also recognized advisers Kate Skirvin, Janna Oxford and Heather Clingan as North Putnam’s Teachers of the Month. Clingan could not make the meeting.

The board also approved the following personnel report:

New hires: Kayla Franklin – Bainbridge Elementary secretary/health aide; PJ Detro – after-school instructional assistant; Ricki Campbell – NPHS registrar/health aide; Gabriele Keck, Emily Potts and Patty Potts – custodians; Janice Goldberg – NPMS after-school instructional assistant; Jennifer Flater – NPMS cheer head coach; Ciara Boyer – NPMS cheer assistant coach; Sarah Garver – NPMS boys’ and girls’ track assistant coach; Brian Moore – NPHS football first assistant coach; Cameron Brothers, Laren Sanford, Michael Murphy, Nate Bryan, Travis Franklin, Hank Spencer and Brett Sheldon – NPHS football assistant coaches; Kyle Morgan – NPHS boys’ soccer head coach; Scott Spencer and Jacob Bender – NPHS boys’ soccer assistant coaches; Allison Everman – NPHS girls’ soccer head coach; Jamie Tennis – NPHS girls’ soccer assistant coach; Kevin Lutes – NPHS boys’ and girls’ cross country head coach; Laurie Hensley – NPHS boys’ and girls’ cross country assistant coach; Carrie Hook – NPHS cheer head coach; and Bambi Wiley – NPHS cheer assistant coach;

Summer school: Shannon Kinkead, Bronwyn Spencer, Erica Boaz and Tiffany Collisi – elementary summer school teachers; Jon Hathaway – NPHS summer school teacher (English/language arts/interpersonal communication); Kate Skirvin, Janna Oxford and Heather Clingan – summer ag experience;

Leave: Jessica Tarr-Ajibade – Bainbridge Elementary teacher (2022-23 school year);

Resignations: Kylee Clodfelter – NPHS administrative assistant/discipline (effective April 11); Crystal Parent – bus driver (effective April 12); Lynn Miller – Bainbridge Elementary instructional assistant (effective April 14); Casey Vicory – NPHS special education teacher (effective April 11); Dominique Owens and Carrie Bolen – after-school instructional assistants (effective April 5 and March 31, respectively); Liz Barnett – NPMS instructional assistant/after-school instructional assistant (effective April 25); Haley Weaver – NPMS girls’ soccer head coach (effective immediately); and Paula Batchelor – NPHS health aide/instructional assistant; and

Retirement: Pat Inman – bus driver (effective March 17)

Director of Operations Terry Tippin and Administrative Assistant April Lambermont joined Allee, Pearson, Chadd and the entire board for the meeting.

The next regular meeting of the North Putnam School Board is scheduled for Thursday, May 19 at 7 p.m. in the large group instruction room at North Putnam High School.